1 . Here are some fantastic parks in San Antonio.
Brackenridge Park
The park was first established in 1899 and has been popular with both locals and visitors ever since. Towering trees and peaceful riverbanks will greet guests along the park’s paths, and the facilities include playgrounds, museums, a miniature train, a Japanese tea garden, and one of the oldest golf courses in the city.
Friedrich Wilderness Park
In the park, you’ll find about 10 miles of paved(铺过的)and unpaved trails(路线), with a little something for everyone. From rocky climbs to deep canyons, and enchanting forests to open views, there’s no shortage of natural beauty. The area is nationally famous for birdwatching.
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
The park is the state’s only one on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Site. It covers quite a large area, so it’s best to make it a full-day or at least a half-day trip so you can be sure to cover everything. While the Alamo is a separate attraction, you will get to enjoy the architectural wonders of Mission Concepcion, Mission San Jose, Mission San Juan, and Mission Espada. They’re all connected by a hike and bike trail, with plenty of stops along the way to picnic, climb trees, and refill water. Admission is free!
Eisenhower Park
Just a 20-to 30-minute drive from the city center, the park puts the best landscapes in the Texas Hill Country on full display, holding 6 miles of hiking trails, both paved and unpaved. Explore dried creek beds, look out over plunging canyons, and enjoy full views of San Antonio down below. You can also find playgrounds for the little ones, picnic tables, and barbecue facilities.
1. What is Friedrich Wilderness Park well-known for?| A．Birdwatching. | B．Ancient buildings. |
| C．A Japanese tea garden. | D．Unpaved hiking paths. |
| A．Brackenridge Park. |
| B．Friedrich Wilderness Park. |
| C．San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. |
| D．Eisenhower Park. |
| A．Golf courses and bicycle trails. |
| B．Museums and no entrance fee. |
| C．Birdwatching and playgrounds. |
| D．Hiking trails and barbecue facilities. |
1. Why is the man going to Vietnam?
| A．To travel. | B．To work. | C．To study. |
| A．They have killed plenty of tourists. |
| B．They are often eaten by other animals. |
| C．They like to make their webs everywhere. |
3 . After years of heated debate, gray wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park. Fourteen wolves were caught in Canada and transported to the park. By last year, the Yellowstone wolf population had grown to more than 170 wolves.
Gray wolves once were seen here and there in the Yellowstone area and much of the continental United States, but they were gradually displaced by human development. By the 1920s, wolves had practically disappeared from the Yellowstone area. They went farther north into the deep forests of Canada, where there were fewer humans around.
The disappearance of the wolves had many unexpected results. Deer and elk populations — major food sources (来源) for the wolf — grew rapidly. These animals consumed large amounts of vegetation (植被), which reduced plant diversity in the park. In the absence of wolves, coyote populations also grew quickly. The coyotes killed a large percentage of the park’s red foxes, and completely drove away the park’s beavers.
As early as 1966, biologists asked the government to consider reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone Park. They hoped that wolves would be able to control the elk and coyote problems. Many farmers opposed the plan because they feared that wolves would kill their farm animals or pets.
The government spent nearly 30 years coming up with a plan to reintroduce the wolvers. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service carefully monitors and manages the wolf packs in Yellowstone. Today, the debate continues over how well the gray wolf is fitting in at Yellowstone. Elk, deer, and coyote populations are down, while beavers and red foxes have made a comeback. The Yellowstone wolf project has been a valuable experiment to help biologists decide whether to reintroduce wolves to other parts of the country as well.
1. What is the text mainly about?| A．Wildlife research in the United States. |
| B．Plant diversity in the Yellowstone area. |
| C．The conflict between farmers and gray wolves. |
| D．The reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone Park. |
| A．Damage to local ecology. |
| B．Preservation of vegetation. |
| C．A decline in the park’s income. |
| D．An increase in the variety of animals. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Uncaring. | C．Positive. | D．Disapproving. |
4 . Tips for Green Travel with Kids
Travelling doesn’t mean letting go of all the eco-friendly choices we work so hard to achieve in our daily life. Here are a few tips for green travel with kids.
Booking nonstop flights whenever possible will reduce carbon emissions (碳排放). If the closest local airport doesn’t have nonstop flights to a certain place, check with other local airports to see if nonstop flights are available.
It’s easy when travelling to pull in to fast food restaurants for snacks.
| A．Walking is good for your health. |
| B．Try to cut back to save water and energy. |
| C．But you can pack healthy food from home. |
| D．Travelling is a great chance to introduce your kids to the world. |
| E．Reusable water bottles are easy to bring along wherever you travel. |
| F．Save energy by turning off the hotel room lights when you head out for the day. |
| G．You might have to drive a bit farther, but saving on carbon emissions makes it worthwhile. |
The ginkgo (银杏) tree is thought to be one of the oldest living trees,
Ginkgoes are large trees,
With fan-shaped leaves, ginkgoes are green both on the top and bottom. But during autumn, they turn bright yellow and then fall, which make up
Because ginkgoes
6 . The idea that humans are facing a global extinction of experience of nature is popular, but is it true? To give more light on this issue, the scientists measured how the average distance from an individual’s home to the nearest area with low human impact changed in the last decade.
The scientists found that humans currently live 9.7 kilometers away from a natural area on average, which is 7% further away than in the year 2000. Europe and East Asia have the highest average distance to natural areas, such as 22 kilometers in Germany and 16 kilometers in France. The scientists also showed that tree cover within cities has declined worldwide since 2000, suggesting that the possibility for the urban population to access green spaces is reducing as well.
The scientists also systematically searched for scientific publications assessing a trend in experiences of nature, finding that the number of studies assessing these trends was very low (the number is 18), most of which are about the US, Europe and Japan. This shows that more studies should investigate the claim about the extinction of nature experience, especially in Africa and Latin America. The 18 studies found by the scientists show a decline in visits to nature parks in the US and Japan, a decrease in camping activities in the US, and a decrease in the number of flower species observed by Japanese children. They also find signs of decline in the use of natural elements in novels, songs and cartoons.
Despite these examples of decline, other interactions are increasing. Watching wildlife documentaries or interacting with wild animals in videogames is, for example, more common than a few years ago. “New ways of digitally interacting with nature have certainly emerged or increased in recent years,” says Dr Gladys Barragan-Jason. “But several former studies show that these vicarious interactions have a lesser effect on our sense of connection with nature than exposure to nature, such as visiting nature parks.”
1. How does the author mainly develop the text?| A．By giving examples and making contrast. |
| B．By listing data and classifying them. |
| C．By giving examples and definitions. |
| D．By analyzing data and making comparison. |
| A．the distance between humans and nature |
| B．the connection between humans and wild animals |
| C．reading novels, singing songs and watching cartoons |
| D．tree cover, visits to nature parks and nature presence in the arts |
| A．Positive. | B．Novel. | C．Indirect. | D．Complex. |
| A．Global Extinction of Green Spaces. | B．Decline in Experiences of Nature. |
| C．The Lost Joy in the Natural World. | D．A New Way of Connecting With Nature. |
| A．Warm. | B．Comfortable. | C．Wet. |
8 . When you encounter animals, do you wonder what they’re thinking? Seeing a newborn lamb or a cute puppy might arouse happy emotions in us, but what are they thinking? Does the look on their face and how they behave indicate how they’re feeling — or are they feeling nothing at all?
Humans have a complex range of feelings, but it’s hard to tell what’s going on inside the heads of animals. Some of us own dogs, because they are good companions, are loyal and seem to connect with us. We might even think they love us. Professor Kim Bard, an expert in comparative developmental psychology from the University of Portsmouth, told the BBC: “We have a few studies now that actually show scientifically that some dogs will respond when their owner — but not a stranger — pretends to cry.” The empathetic ability of cats, however, is harder to work out.
Other non-domesticated (非驯养的) animals might have feelings too. Giraffes and whales, for example, are known to experience sadness when someone in their group dies. It’s believed that even tiny creatures like insects might have emotions as well. Research is beginning to show they experience a wide range of feelings. Kim says: “They can be optimistic, pessimistic, or frightened, and respond to pain just like any mammal would.”
Dr Barbara J King, Emerita Professor of Anthropology at the College of William and Mary, told the BBC: “If we understand the profound depths of emotions animals can feel, this should make us question the existence of zoos and slaughterhouses (屠宰场) around the world, and rethink those systems. It does seem all creatures feel emotion, but what is not clear is whether they feel the same way as us.”
1. What’s the purpose of raising questions in the first paragraph?| A．To attract. | B．To inspire. | C．To entertain. | D．To persuade. |
| A．The ability to respond to others’ questions. |
| B．The ability to stay calm when facing danger. |
| C．The ability to share work with their owners. |
| D．The ability to understand others’ feelings. |
| A．It may reduce the times of people visiting zoos. |
| B．It may lead people to reconsider animals’ well-being. |
| C．It may change the food chain of the whole world. |
| D．It may cause zoos and slaughterhouses to disappear. |
| A．Certain. | B．Critical. | C．Careful. | D．Regretful. |
9 . Mawson was an Australian explorer and scientist who explored the Antarctic with a team of fellow adventurers in 1912. His travels in the frozen continent brought him worldwide
One of the men, a young British soldier named Belgrave Ninnis,
| A．praise | B．trust | C．worry | D．criticism |
| A．celebrities | B．explorers | C．athletes | D．astronomers |
| A．putting off | B．showing off | C．kicking off | D．letting off |
| A．Wonders | B．Bonuses | C．Fortunes | D．Disasters |
| A．took | B．fell | C．looked | D．wandered |
| A．adjusted | B．circulated | C．infected | D．confused |
| A．cures | B．disabilities | C．errors | D．illnesses |
| A．remaining | B．wild | C．fierce | D．hunting |
| A．Ultimately | B．Nevertheless | C．Temporarily | D．Meanwhile |
| A．Discouraged | B．Relieved | C．Determined | D．Frightened |
| A．combined | B．battled | C．contained | D．introduced |
| A．center | B．normal | C．base | D．campus |
| A．predict | B．discover | C．complain | D．explain |
| A．passengers | B．witnesses | C．rescuers | D．crew |
| A．achievements | B．references | C．services | D．subjects |
10 . In a world-record effort to help save a rare sea creature, Australian scientists have released hundreds of baby seahorses into the wild. The tiny seahorses are endangered, and the scientists hope the new seahorses will help their numbers grow.
Seahorses are small, thin fish with a long mouth. They’re called “seahorses” because they look a bit like horses. Even though they’re fish, seahorses aren’t great swimmers.
There are over 40 different kinds of seahorses. They mostly live in warm, shallow waters around the world. They are often found in coral reefs, in beds of seagrass, and areas where rivers empty into the sea.
Many kinds of seahorses are threatened, often by the actions of humans.
This is the fifth time the scientists have released seahorses into the area. and this is a new record,
| A．Seahorse babies are easy to carry. |
| B．Around 380 seahorses were released. |
| C．Sometimes they’re caught and sold as pets. |
| D．People should be prohibited from catching seahorses. |
| E．Seahorses form an important part of the ocean’s food chain. |
| F．They often use their tails to hold onto something in the water. |
| G．Seahorses are unusual because it’s the males who carry the babies. |
